Ancha tea

Ancha Tea

Ancha is a geographical indication protected product.

　　Quality Technical Requirements for Ancha Tea

　　I. Variety

　　Qimen Zhuye Group variety and asexual superior varieties such as "Anhui No.1" and "Anhui No.3" bred from it.

　　II. Site Conditions

　　Altitude below 800m. Soil types include red soil, yellow soil, and yellow-brown soil, with pH value between 4.5 and 5.5, and organic matter ≥1.0%.

　　III. Cultivation Management

　　1. Seedling Propagation: By cutting or seed sowing.

　　2. Planting: Asexual tea seedlings are planted from September to November or February to March, at a density of 4,000 to 5,000 plants per 667㎡ (mu); sexual propagation involves sowing tea seeds from November to December or February to March, at a rate of 400kg to 500kg per 667㎡ (mu).

　　3. Cultivation Management:

　　(1) Pruning: In production tea gardens, light pruning is done once after the spring tea harvest each year; medium or heavy pruning is done once every 3 to 5 years, after the summer tea harvest.

　　(2) Hoeing: Once around the Spring Equinox and the Beginning of Autumn.

　　(3) Fertilization: For new tea gardens, apply 1,500kg to 2,500kg of well-rotted organic fertilizer, 100kg to 150kg of cake fertilizer, and 15kg to 25kg of phosphate fertilizer per 667㎡ (mu). Mature tea gardens receive 100kg to 150kg of special fertilizer per 667㎡ (mu) annually.

　　4. Environmental and Safety Requirements: The use of pesticides, fertilizers, etc., must comply with national regulations, and must not cause environmental pollution.

　　IV. Harvesting

　　Harvested from late April to mid-May. Pick one bud with two leaves, one bud with three leaves, or opposite leaves.

　　V. Processing Technology

　　1. Processing:

　　(1) Primary Processing: Withering → Fixation → Rolling → Drying.

　　(2) Refined Processing: Screening → Winnowing → Sorting → Blending → High-fire Roasting → Dew Tea → Steaming → Basket Packing → Drying → Binding.

　　2. Key Points of Primary Processing:

　　(1) Withering: Spread leaves to a thickness of 3cm to 5cm, and turn them over every 30 minutes.

　　(2) Fixation: Temperature ranges from 120°C to 60°C, starting high then lowering, for 15 to 20 minutes.

　　(3) Rolling: Duration of 42 to 47 minutes.

　　(4) Drying: Use a drying basket — with initial firing at 90°C to 100°C and final firing at 70°C to 80°C; or use a dryer — with initial firing at 100°C to 110°C, leaf spread thickness of 1cm to 2cm, cool down for 50 to 70 minutes after machine processing, then final firing at 80°C to 90°C with a leaf spread thickness of 3cm to 4cm.

　　3. Key Points of Refined Processing:

　　(1) High-fire Roasting: Use a drying basket — load 3kg per basket, temperature 100°C to 110°C, duration 5 to 8 minutes, turn over 4 times.

　　(2) Overnight withering: Leave the leaves outdoors overnight with a spread thickness of 8–10 cm, then collect them the next morning.

　　(3) Steaming: Spread the leaves on bamboo mats lined with cotton cloth, with a thickness of 3–4 cm, and steam under a covered vapor.

　　(4) Basket packing: After steaming, pack the leaves tightly into bamboo baskets lined with indocalamus leaves.

　　(5) Drying: Bundle six or eight baskets together as one unit, place them on drying racks, cover with cotton wadding, and dry with charcoal heat.

　　(6) Wrapping: Wrap the bundles in larger bamboo packages lined with indocalamus leaves, then store them in a ventilated, light-proof, cool, and dry place for natural aging.

　　An tea

　　 Administrative regions of 15 townships currently under the jurisdiction of Qimen County, Anhui Province: Luxi Township, Rongkou Township, Pingli Town, Qihong Township, Tafang Township, Qishan Town, Jinzipai Town, Datang Township, Xiaolukou Town, Zhukou Township, Likou Town, Guxi Township, Shanli Town, Xin’an Township, and Ruokeng Township.

　　 Letter from the People’s Government of Qimen County on Defining the Protected Area of An Tea Geographical Indication Product, Qi Zheng Mi [2013] No. 79.

　　 Local standard of Anhui Province: DB34/T1841-2013 "An Tea."